Archives For Life

Are you doing just enough or going past the finish line?

I recently went out for a run. Just me and my thoughts. No headphones or any music to listen to.

Now running isn’t my favorite thing to do but I understand the benefits of cardiovascular training.

It was only a 20 minute jog and coming up to the end my thoughts went to something I have struggled with in the past.

I felt myself slowing down as I was getting closer to the end of my jog. It made me realize a common fault I have made many times when getting close to the end with many things I do.

As my thoughts drifted and I became present with what I was doing on my jog, so I picked up the pace. I started thinking of my good friend Bill Beck when he ran 50 miles for a charitable event. He was in pain with his knees, but what he did at the end was magnificent.

Even with all the pain he was in, he ran an extra mile.

Now that for me is going the extra mile.

Getting to the finish isn’t always enough. Its going that extra mile and following through with what you started.

As you get closer to the finish line it doesn’t mean slowing down, it means finishing strong. Finishing with a sprint to the line like athletes do after they have run a marathon, or a cycling event.

The finish line is not necessarily the end of the race. The box maybe ticked to say you have completed your desired outcome, but you still have to keep going with whatever is next.

Why should you go the extra mile?

1. It builds character.

When you go the extra mile, you develop a reputation to do more and be more. You instill in yourself to continuously do your best at all times no matter what. You become a better person by simply going the extra mile.

2.It’s the best thing to do.

Doing just enough or simply crossing the finish line is being average, being mediocre. You have to challenge yourself to be you best at all times. To go above and beyond what is expected of you. To follow through and continuously grow as an individual. By going the extra mile you you go into the unknown, down the road less travelled, and it is in the unknown that we learn, develop and grow.

3.It creates greater opportunities.

The road less travelled creates further opportunities that you may not have known existed. You never know what lies around the corner and it is the reason you should always go the extra mile.

Keep unleashing your true potential and giving your ultimate best long after you have completed your race.

At some point in your life you wanted to change something. To lose some weight. To put some muscle on. To train for a 5K, 10K, half marathon or the very popular obstacle course races like Spartan, Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash to name a few.

With each of these, a decision has to be made. A very precise decision to take action and train for the relevant goal that you are after.

However, saying ‘I want to lose weight’ or ‘I want to do an obstacle race’ is not a very strong commitment to achieve your desired outcome. Yes it is a good start to the process but it will stop there if you don’t take the next step.

The next step is to take action and burn the bridges that will stop you from going back.

You got to make it impossible to go back to your old habits. Create an uncomfortable scenario for if you fail.

So if you want to lose some of those extra pounds, burn the bridges by getting rid of all the junk in your kitchen. Get rid of all the sugary drinks you may have stored away.

You have to take some kind of action no matter how small or big to achieve your desired outcome.

I noticed that when I talk to people when they want to get started on there Health and Fitness journey they are sometimes hesitant and want the perfect day to get started or the perfect time to get started.

When is that perfect day or time?

NOW!

Saying I will start tomorrow or next week or next month or when I get some new shoes or when I get some time isn’t going to change anything for you. I didn’t workout today and it didn’t kill me, so it must be OK. 3 or 6 or 12 months later….and you are out of breath and panting as you walk from the car to your office or up a flight of stairs or running for the bus. This way of thinking will NOT get you closer to your health, wellness and vitality goals. You have to avoid these mistakes and this way of thinking as it will end up costing you.

Now let’s flip it…

Success on the other hand is doing the things we don’t want to do and doing it to our very best no matter what. It’s a few simple disciplines practiced daily. Its like getting up in the morning and following your routine.

Successdul people always have a plan and stick to it no matter what. They know what they want and go after it with drive, determination, discipline and massive action.

You can do the same with your health and fitness by doing the little things on a daily basis. Commit to working out a minimum of 4-5 times a week and for at least 30 mins of intense exercise to break a sweat but not leaving your exhausted and drained. You should feel energized after these workouts.

Plan you meals ahead of time. Know what you are having for each of your meals by taking a day each week to plan your meals for the week. At first this may take some time but to be successful you have to plan for the results you want to achieve.

Start slow and build. Don’t try to run a marathon before you can run. A baby has to learn to crawl first, then goes through the stages before he or she can walk, then run. It’s a process. Be patient with the stages and the process.

We as humans have the ability to take control of our lives. Its through our conscious choices on a daily basis, that we can develop and transform our lives, to what we dream of it being.

Make each day a success with your daily choices to unleash your true potential to be your ultimate best.

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I am trying!!!

I know you have said that before in some area of you life. I myself have said that on many occasions. But what does I am trying mean?

It is neither here or there. There is nothing to it really. There is no commitment to anything when you say try. I am trying to lose weight, I am trying to get back to working out, I am trying to eat right….

Here is the thing….

You are either going to lose weight, start working out and eating right or you are simply NOT going to do so. There is no in the middle of trying.

By saying you are trying, you then have the excuse of ‘you tried,’ if things didn’t workout. That’s what we call being a lamb and not being a lion. A lion doesn’t try to go after his prey, he attacks it with everything he has. He stalks his prey. He sets it up so he is in the best position to conquer his prey. There is no half hearted effort with a lion. It is ALL in.

Start Doing

Are you trying to lose weight – or going to commit to losing weight?

Are you trying to eat right – or going to eat right?

Are you going to try and workout – or commit to joining a training facility to workout?

What to do next?

Eliminate the word try from your vocabulary. There is no substance to the word try. It is not the most inspiring word in the dictionary and it does not empower you or motivate you to be a lion and attack life.

Make a decision. You are either going to ‘do it’ or you are ‘not going to do it.’ Be honest with yourself and it will save you a lot of heart ache down the line. Stop pretending and START DOING!

Make a commitment. There is nothing more rewarding than committing to something and seeing it to the end. The person you become at the of the commitment is where the reward lies.

This can be applied to any area of your life that you want to improve on. Make that commitment today, to doing what you need to do, to unleash your true potential to be your ultimate best.

I recently had the privilege of spending some time at a presentation with one of Anthony Robbins lead coaches Dragon Trajkovski. This guy was amazing and he filled BB3 Personal Training and Performance Center with all his energy. It was unbelievable how he had everyone’s attention and fired up. I was excited myself and following his every command.

That night on my way home, I started think about how all this related to me, my life, the people around me, my clients and some of the B.S. that keeps me from achieving my ultimate potential.

I know I have set myself a number of health and fitness goals for 2014, and I am pretty sure a high percentage of you have also done the same and a lot of negative B.S. can hinder me to getting to my desired end results.

B.S. comes in a lot of forms and in different ways for each and every one of us, and also affects us differently.

Have you ever sat down and thought about the B.S. in your life at any point?

So lets answer some questions right now….

What is the B.S. that is holding you back right now from achieving your ultimate fitness goal?

Here are some of mine that I wrote down on the night:

Procrastination.

Myself. Yes me!

Laziness.

Not clearly knowing what I want.

Limiting self beliefs.

That is some of the B.S. in my life.

What is some B.S. in your life?

I don’t have time.

Fear of results. Fear of success. Fear of no results.

Commitment.

No support.

Not sure what to do.

Don’t know what to eat or cook.

Information overload.

What other people will think of you.

Standing out in the crowd.

I can’t.

That’s some of the B.S. going on in people’s lives at some point in time. And, I am sure you can possibly add more to that list.

Here is the thing with all that B.S, its a load of negative B.S. that is keeping you from achieving your ultimate fitness and many other things in life.

It’s all a bunch of EXCUSES!!!!

It’s all programmed in to you.

It’s not who you are.

We are all capable of so much more, but we let negative B.S. keep us down. Why do we do this to ourselves? If you are asking where did this B.S come from, that is a damn good question.

Stop for a while, and ask thought provoking questions to yourself that will make you think about things.

This type of negative B.S. is not going to get you far, and to be honest, you need to change it quickly as it can be a vicious cycle.

If you are asking yourself how do I change this negative B.S, that is truly a great question.

Here is what I would like you to do before we go any further…….

Please go along with this.

I would like you to go back to the top and re-read everything.

Where you saw the letters B.S, (I hope you didn’t think it meant BULL SHIT!), replace it with BELIEF SYSTEMS.

Now that you are back….

Do you now see that it is your negative belief systems that is holding you back?

What you focus on is what you get. If you keep saying ‘I can’t….” then you will not. If you keep focusing on ‘this is hard’ then guess what, it will be hard. If you keep saying ‘I am getting fat’ then guess what, you will keep getting fat.

These negative belief systems are not who you are, and I am pretty sure what you are not striving for, but trying to move away from.

It is a negative belief system that can be changed.

Changed to one in which you focus on what you want.

I am at my peak fitness everyday.

I am fueling my body with the most nutritious foods.

I am strong and can conquer all my challenges.

All that I need I already have in my life now.

These are the things you want to focus on. These are the things you want to say and BELIEVE!

On the night of the presentation when Dragon said write this down in a very in a very demanding and influential voice of utmost importance, I immediately started writing what he said which was:

BELIEF:a feeling of certainty of what something means to you.

Change your beliefs and you will change your thoughts; change your thoughts and you would change your actions; change your actions and you would change your results.

I hope this blog has made you think about things a little more in terms of your belief system, and that it challenges you, as life really gets exciting at the end of your comfort zone.

You made that big decision to get going to get rid of those unwanted pounds and work towards your ultimate body. Things were great and you were consistent. In your first 4 weeks the weight was dropping off and you were on an all time high. Things were going according to plan.

Then BOOM!

Something happened. You didn’t lose any weight this month. Work started to take over. The kids start to take priority. Your partner isn’t supporting you anymore. You can’t seem to find the time you had before. The dog is not well. Social life is on over drive.

Then before you know it the weight starts to pile back on. You go in to a slump and start thinking ‘I can’t do this,’ ‘what was I thinking,’ ‘ this is not for me,’ ‘I guess I am meant to be this way.’

NO YOU ARE NOT!!!!!!

Let’s face it these things happen in life and we have to deal with them when they turn up. It’s not the end of the world when these things happen and you are certainly not the only one it has happened to.

So what happened?

The negative slump.

A- the missed event. What started this? You didn’t lose any weight this month. You actually put some on. This is the event that started the slump.

B – this is when you start telling yourself you are a failure. All my hard work has gone down the drain….I knew this would happen…what am going to do now?

C – the lousy stage where you feel like crap and down and out.

This is certainly not a nice place to be.

What needs to be done is take that unpleasant event ‘A,’ and rationally think how to handle it – ‘B,’ so that you end up feeling on a high again ‘C’ when things don’t go according to plan.

Positive reinforcement.

A – ok so you didn’t lose any weight this month. Is this the end of the world? Of course it’s not! You can influence your reaction in two ways by criticizing yourself for not losing weight (I shouldn’t have eaten that….I’m a failure) and make yourself feel like crap or you can reinforce yourself by accepting it has happened and telling yourself this month I’m going to work harder and give up on all sweets including fizzy drinks and make yourself feel better.

B – your choice in ‘A’ is now going to have an influence on ‘B’ as you are no longer thinking it can’t be done as your thoughts have changed from can’t to can. You now have something to focus towards by working to achieve your desired state of ULTIMATE health an fitness. So no more need for those negative thoughts.

C – feeling like crap. Of course you are not going to feel like crap anymore as you have just made a choice to be positive and to work harder and eat less crap. The choice is yours. How much do you want to achieve that ULTIMATE desire you are after?

So when the going gets tough, use this simple ABC approach to keep you moving in the direction you want to be going.

You always start off with an event A, which is a miss of some sort. Accept it and be positive and find a solution to move forward. Depending how you handle the next stage B, which is encouragement or criticism, you will end up with a widely different outcomes for C, which is confidence and optimism or discouragement or depression.

How many times have you bought a book, audio program, training program, nutrition program, self-help program, or some other program of some sort, went through it all, but never did what it said to do?

You didn’t fill out the journal it ask you to do.

You didn’t write down what it ask you to do.

You didn’t track your workouts as it required.

You didn’t track your meals like it recommended.

You didn’t answer the questions that were asked.

You didn’t follow the systems/processes in the ‘THE PROGRAM’ you invested in.

I have done this on many occasions. I have bought many programs out there, read it, put it down, and then when the next best thing came out I would buy it and read it and NOT follow the program every time.

That right there was insanity taking place….

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results!

It was people like me who didn’t follow the program 100% that would blame everything else for the results I was achieving, which to be honest was none.

I would say things like:

This program is crap it does not work.

I don’t need to do that, how is that going to help me.

That’s too much thinking and I don’t know what I want.

I know that already, that’s what the last book said. I have done it.

I will do it later or tomorrow or next week.

Guest what?

I was making excuses. I was fooling myself in to thinking I was doing something positive but really and truly I was lying to myself.

I was being a FAKE!

I didn’t need to read any book or listen to any audio to work that out. It was in my face.

Once I changed this frame of thinking and followed which-ever program I got great results.

As a Personal Trainer working with clients on a daily basis, what I have noticed is that people who follow the program 100% get the best results.

They are conscious of what they eat.

They are consistent with showing up for their training session and giving their ultimate best.

They are always present in the moment and ready to work.

They are focused on achieving the desired results they are after.

They do the things that they don’t want to do.

They go the extra mile.

You have to take responsibility for you actions and the choices you make to get to where you want to go. The same way you trust a GPS to get you to your destination is the same way you have to trust a program to get you to the place you want to be.

There is a reason you got the program you invested in. There is a part of you that you want to improve. There is part of you that wants to improve. There is part of you that wants to grow. There is part of you that wants to step out and be the person you dream of being. There is part of you that wants to be alive and enjoy life.

Whatever it may be, come out of your comfort zone and follow what the program ask of you. There is a reason why some people get results from doing a program.

They follow it 100%!

Focus on what you want.

Focus on why you want what you want.

Focus on how you are going to get what you want.

Focus on taking action to get to where you want to be.

Focus on giving 100% to following and applying what the program requires.

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About Gavin

Gavin De Souza is a Certified Precision Nutrition Coach and Fitness Professional.

He has worked in several training facilities in the UK and US, specializing in Personal Training, Nutrition, Body Transformation, as well as Youth Fitness Development and Sport Specific preparation.

Gavin has been involved in the Fitness Industry since 2002.

In addition, Gavin focuses on helping to serve, mentor, inspire, lead and empower busy, successful, professionals, to find balance in their lives, so that they can unleash their true potential, to LOOK, FEEL and PERFORM at their ultimate best in sport and life.